Virgin Voyages introduces AI assistant to help agents ‘tailor recommendations’

Virgin Voyages has launched an AI assistant called Rovey to help agents with travel planning.

Rovey has been developed with Google Cloud and aims to help trade partners “refine recommendations for their clients in real time”.

The AI assistant is designed to offer “human-like recommendations” based on clients’ preferences which would historically have been provided through phone calls to guest services.

Chief executive Nirmal Saverimuttu said: "We sail to more than 150 destinations, with more than 60 itineraries on sale more than two years out.

“It’s a complex decision, and it matters. Our advisors care about getting it right for their clients. Rovey helps with that. She brings the most relevant options into focus and makes it easier to tailor recommendations for clients.

“That’s always our goal with AI: to free up processes in favour of human-to-human connections."

Chief brand experience, marketing and momentum officer Nathan Rosenberg added: "The best First Mates [agents] we work with spend their time building relationships, not answering the same foundational questions every week.

“When a Sailor [passenger] arrives having already worked through the basics, the conversation becomes about the person and less about the itinerary. That is where trust is built.

“That is what drives a Sailor [passenger] to rebook and to send their friends. Rovey shows up first so the First Mate [agent] can finish strongest."

Rovey forms part of Project Ruby, a long-term joint AI initiative with Google Cloud.

Sam Sebastian, Google Cloud’s vice-president for the North America regions, said Rovey would help the adult-only cruise line “mitigate booking friction, deliver personalised travel recommendations at scale, and build deeper, more valuable connections with Sailors [passengers]”.